Vehicle-spring.



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TED STATES PATEN 1:; OFIOE.

HARVEY s. annexe, or rannanron, rnunsvtvama.

nava'raa.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 13, 1918 Application filed November 5, 1917. Serial No. 200,296.

' novel and reliable means whereby the leaves tab of a vehicle spring may be positively prevented from slipping or sliding longitudinally of and in relation to each other.

' A further object of the invention is to provide means of. the character above referred to capable of economical manufacture, no additional material being required, enabling the spring to be manu factured as cheaply as the present day spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide effective means for clamping the spring leaves together and holding the entire spring structure in fixed relation to a vehicle axle. With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved vehicle spring, in its applied relation to a vehicle frame.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the same taken centrally of the vehicle axle in conjunction with which the spring is used.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4; is a detail perspective view of the spring holder.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective clip retainer.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the spring leaves showing the way in which the offsets are .formed.

In the construction of the improved spring any desired number of leavesl may be used according to the load to be imposed thereon, the spring leaves being arranged in superimposed relation to each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The top spring leaf is formed in the usual manner with terminal eyes one end thereof receiving a shackle bolt 2 which serves to fasten that view of the end of the spring to the vehicle frame 3, and the: other end being connected by a shackle bolt 1 to a shackle link 5 connected by a-pivot 6 to the frame 3. 7 designates .U-shaped clips which embrace certain leaves of the. spring to prevent the spring leaves from separating to too great an extent. a

In carrying out the present invention, eachof the spring leaves 1 is formedwith lateraloffsets 8 at opposite sides thereof and about centrally of the length of the leaf.

Each. offset 8 is formed by a punch which operates to displace laterally a portion of the metal immediately adjacent to the edge of the spring leaf. In this operation, the thickness of the metal is reduced where the olfsetS isformed but this does not impair the strength of the spring as the same amount of metal remains.

9 designates a spring holder which is substantially U-shaped or three-sided as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The holder oomprises the parallel legs 10 and these legs are grooved or guttered or concaved in theirjinner faces as shown at 11, the grooves 11 being of a shape corresponding with the shape of the punched offsets 8 so as to receive the same when the leaves are introduced between the legs 10 of the spring holder. The spring holder comprises a bottom crown 12 which connects the legs 10 and depending from the crown is an axle engaging stud 13 which is designed to be received in a socket 14 in the top of the vehicle axle 15. The ends of the legs 10 are threaded as shown at 16 to receive nuts 17 Beneath the lowermost spring leaf, I arrange a saddle plate 18 having a transverse slot 19 to receive the bottom crown 12 of the spring holder 9 and permit the stud 13 to be entered in the socket 1 1 in the axle. Superimposed upon the top leaf of the spring is a clip retainer 20 having oppositely extending ears 21 formed with holes to receive the threaded ends 16 of the spring holder 9. U-shaped clips 22 extend over and embrace all of the leaves of the spring and are held in place by nuts 23. The saddle plate 18 rests directly on the axle 15 which is formed with projecting cars 21, bolts 25 being inserted through said saddle plate and the ears 24. This forms a strong and reliable anchorage for the spring inrelation to the axle. Atits opposite ends the clip retainer20 is provided with up-turned lips or stops 26 which prevent the clips 22 from shifting longitudinally of the spring. r

In view of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will now be seen that it is prac: tically impossible for the spring leaves to shift or slip longitudinally of and in relation to each other. This very desirable result is obtained in an inexpensive way and without forming any holes in the spring leaves which would'tend to weaken the same. It is also impossible for the spring to shift in a fore and aft direction or transversely of the axle, due to the stud 18 which has a positive and direct engagement with the axle. The saddle plate 10 prevents the spring from rocking on the axle as it is bolted directly to the axle and also to the central portion of the spring as a whole. WVhen the clips 22, the clips 7 and the nuts 17 are removed, the spring leaves may be very easily separated from each other,

enabling a broken leaf to be replaced in a short time.

I claim V 1. A vehicle spring comprising superimposed leaves having lateral offsets, and a U-shaped one piece spring holding member embracing said leaves and having a depending stud for engagement with a socket in a vehicle axle, said member being also grooved to receive said offsets.

2. A vehicle spring comprising superimposed, leaves having lateral offsets between the ends thereof, and a spring holding member embracing said leavesand recessed to receive said offsets, said spring holding member having a depending axle-engaging stud.

3. A vehicle spring comprising superimposed leaves having lateral oifsets between the ends thereof, and a spring holding member embracing said leaves and recessed to receive said ofi'sets, said spring holding member having a depending axle-engaging stud, a saddle plate on which the spring rests, clips embracing the leaves at opposite sides of said spring holding member and extending through the saddle plate, and a clipretainer on top of the spring having upturned clip retaining lips, the saddle plate having a transverse slot to receive the spring hold ing member.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY S. RADER.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS P. LINN, H. A. CHRISTIAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

